Madonna’s Right on Time: A Forgotten Gem Unearthed after 30 Years

2025 has been a year of highly anticipated unreleased music. Thus far we have Springsteen’s “Electric Nebraska,” Stevie Nicks and Buckingham’s Buckingham Nicks and now Madonna has re-released her EP Bedtime Stories with the previously unreleased track Right on Time. Madonna did this earlier in the year when she released the previously unreleased track Gone Gone Gone. These are some hidden gems from Madonna’s 90s period when her vocal was at its peak and she was headed towards a major comeback with Ray of Light in 1997/98. For us Madonna fans, having this fresh trip back to those glory days is such a gift. Let’s take a look at this unearthed gem Madonna took off the shelf during her recent studio spring cleaning.

Musically, this is a fun clubby disco number with glittering synth and a 4/4 beat. The interesting thing is that since the Barbie Soundtrack this poppy disco vibe is back in style, so this 30 year old track comes off as very modern. I love the club vibe in this track, which Madonna will turn up to 11 on her massive hit record Confessions on a Dance Floor in 2005. Confessions has a harder club edge, while Right on Time has some of that early Madonna pop DNA swimming around, which really lightens the track and gives it a fun punch. Instead of dripping neon, Right on Time is if your club served cotton candy and people danced with sparklers…it’s light, fun and great to dance to.

Much like her earlier hits Lucky Star, Borderline and Material Girl this track is more about fun pop infused puppy love than erotic sex. However, what really stands out is her vocal. In the 90s Madonna was in command of her range and was able to move from the sultry depth of Vogue to the higher and more playful notes in something like Into the Groove. I love her vocal at this time and her ability to move up and down the musical scale with power and confidence. Moreover, the vocal combined with her pop club vibe gives the track a warmth and sexy playfulness that works really well.

When you hear such a fire track my first thought is, why was this left of the record? However, when you hear what she was working towards with Ray of Light, which was a more grounded instrumentation mixed with hard club beats, you can see how Right on Time just didn’t fit. This track lacks the full sound and breath of Ray of Light, as well as the epic theatrical scope of something like Frozen…so it just didn’t make the original cut. However, this is an amazing Madonna tack that underlines what an incredible artist she is. This is a definite listen for any Madonna fan and reminds us why she is the queen of pop.

Listen to Right on Time